Maternity Hospital or Family Gynaecologist – How to choose?

Your family may have a regular family gynaecologist for the past century, so to speak. But now you’re pregnant, you’re not entirely sure that this doctor with their old world methods is better for you or if you should find someone else affiliated with a modern maternity hospital for your consult.

Things to consider before choosing between a Maternity hospital and your family gynaecologist:

Make a visit to the hospital of your choice and talk to nurses. The nurses know who the best doctors are and will have recommendations to make. Word of mouth fame from known sources can help too.

Make sure to visit the doctor a couple of times before finalizing them – talk to them about their range of previous experiences, what their preferred course of action is in case of emergencies, the ratio of their normal vs C-section births, and their willingness to follow your birth plan. If you’re considering VBAC (Vaginal Birth After C-section), this research is especially relevant.

Make sure to see that the doctor is accessible by phone or at short notice – to make appointments in case of emergencies. Their availability is probably the most important aspects to make your decision.

Another major thing to consider is the distance of the maternity hospital from your house. The last thing you need is to be in labour and stuck in traffic traveling long distances.

Check the facilities that they have in-house for delivery and outpatient recovery – the duration of stay, the costs and insurance policies.

Ultimately, you need to trust your instinct and your doctor and be comfortable when deciding who your gynaecologist is.